Indian Coast Guard to Be Twice the Size of Pakistani Navy with 200 ships & 100 Aircraft

New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is set to strengthen its maritime capabilities along the Western Seaboard by significantly increasing its assets, as disclosed by Director General Rakesh Pal. Presently equipped with 157 ships and about 78 aircraft, the ICG plans to raise these numbers to 200 ships and 100 aircraft by the end of 2025 or early 2026, pending the finalisation of a deal with Mazagon Dock within the next month.

Expansion plans for enhanced maritime vigilance

"To overcome all the challenges, the Indian Coast Guard is adding many ships and aircraft to its fleet. With the current ship count of 157 and about 78 aircraft, the number will likely increase to 200 ships and 100 aircraft by the end of 2025 or early 2026, after we sign a deal with the Mazagon Dock within the next one month," DG Pal said.

The Director General further underlined the strategic importance of this augmentation, especially given the context of security challenges in the region.

Strategic alignment and regional comparison

Notably, according to the Global Fire Power Ranking, India's primary naval rival in the western seaboard, Pakistan, possesses a total of 114 assets. The ICG's expansion intent also aligns with the Defense Minister's broader vision to facilitate the transition of the Indian Navy into a blue water navy capable of operating on a larger scale beyond India’s coastlines.

15th capacity building senior officers’ meeting: strengthening maritime cooperation

Concurrently, the ICG hosted the 15th Capacity Building Senior Officers’ Meeting (CBSOM-2023) in Gujarat, on December 12. This meeting, held from December 11 to 15, 2023, aimed at strengthening international and regional cooperation to combat maritime piracy. It, as per the Defense Ministry, served as a platform to assess the current status of maritime piracy and armed robbery in Asia, facilitating the exchange of experiences and the formulation of collaborative strategies among participating nations.

Director General Rakesh Pal, serving as the designated Indian Governor to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), inaugurated the four-day meeting. The event witnessed the participation of 19 international delegates from 15 countries, alongside representatives from the Indian Navy, major ports, State Maritime Boards, Directorate General of Shipping, and other maritime organisations.

ReCAAP agreement and ICG's contribution

According to MoD, ReCAAP stands as a regional government-to-government agreement aimed at intensifying cooperation to curb piracy. India's ratification of the ReCAAP agreement in 2006 led to its entry into force, now boasting 21 contracting parties. The ICG shoulders the responsibility of sharing piracy-related information with member countries and the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre in Singapore. Furthermore, as per available data, the ICG has successfully co-hosted Capacity Building workshops with ReCAAP ISC in India in 2011, 2017, and 2019.

These concerted efforts underscore India's commitment to fortifying maritime security in the region while encouraging international collaboration to address the complex challenges posed by piracy and armed robbery at sea. As the ICG continues its trajectory towards strengthening its fleet, these strategic endeavours highlight India's stance in ensuring maritime safety and security both on its eastern as well as western flanks.